the house of compassion
by The Lady Avaritia
Summary: -is too far from home- AU. After Tobi reveals the truth Sasuke rushes to the ruined place where he fought Itachi, only to find, to his greatest relief that his brother is still hanging on the line between life and death. Their long road home begins.
1. Chapter 1

They return to Konoha quietly, on a gray fragile morning, when the cold air is making Itachi cough more violently than usual, and the wind stings Sasuke's eyes enough to draw tears, which slide down his cheeks slowly, as his stoic face remains unchanged. They move though shadows of buildings, sticking to the gentle protection of darkness all around them, or rather, Sasuke slinks, with Itachi's broken frame in his arms. His brother is too weak to do much of anything, their recent battle having left him exhausted and wounded.

Their presence in Tsunade's office causes a small but notable shitstorm, a flurry of yelling and sharp projectiles and angry blows being traded, and killing intent polluting the village air, and generally a lot of things that make Sasuke want to unleash unspeakable amounts of violence upon the village elders in general and Danzo in specific.

Eventually, the storm dies out, like all storms do, and the tedious work of fixing history textbooks, spreading information to the public, executing Danzo and restoring Itachi's rank commences. Itachi misses that, while in the hospital, getting his lungs operated on. They can't do anything about his eyes.

He is declared a hero, Sasuke is given Jonin status. When Itachi is released from the ICU Sasuke takes him home. On the long painful walk through the village several times there are projectiles - rotten eggs and fruit gone bad, thrown at the elder crow, accompanied by shouts of "murderer" and "clan killer". Itachi narrowly dodges thanks to good reflexes, and walks with his back straight, and his dull dead eyes focused ahead into a never-ending darkness that has coated his world. He moves slowly and gracefully, and only the press of his delicate palm on Sasuke's muscular shoulder keeps the younger boy from entering fights with civilians. "Keep walking, otouto." Keep walking. So they do.

The house is dark and empty and dusty, despite all the repair work Sasuke has done during the weeks Itachi spent hanging between life and death in the hospital. They eat their first dinner together in awkward painful silence. Itachi's thin chalky lips twist as if everything tastes bad. Sasuke helps him upstairs and into the repainted cleaned bedroom. Itachi nearly screams with pain when his back twists at the wrong angle as Sasuke settles him gently into bed. He pants heavily with the sharp sudden agony. Sasuke kisses his forehead briefly and murmurs an apology, before tucking him in. Itachi doesn't sleep that night, as he listens his little brother pace the house like a caged beast. He doesn't sleep on many of the following nights.


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke knocks on the door to Itachi's bedroom three times in raid succession, then three more with intervals between each knock. His knuckles thud lightly on the soft wood. There is no reply form inside. He pushes the door open and enters the room. A blast of heat from inside hits him, as he steps in his brother's spaces. The thick curtains are drawn across the windows, and darkness prevails. Sasuke closes the door carefully. Open doors bother Itachi, and even though he can't physically see them, it's as if he can sense them.

His brother's frame is sprawled elegantly on the bed, his thin chest raising rhythmically with shallow breaths. His delicate ivory hands rest limply over the thick heavy covers. Sasuke approaches the bed and sits carefully on the edge of it.

"Niisan," he murmurs gently, leaning over the older man, "Niisan."

Itachi lets out a small sigh and blinks, the thick dark lace of his lashes brushing against the chiseled slopes of his cheekbones. His dull dark eyes stare at some spot to the left of Sasuke's head.

"Good morning, Niisan," Sasuke says. "Happy birthday."

Itachi's thin chalky lips twist in a grimace. "Is it that day?"

Sasuke sighs. "Yes, Niisan. It's a good day. It's the day you were born."

Itachi just shakes his head.

"Smile niisan, please," the younger brother pleads, kissing the corner of Itachi's mouth softly. The older crow sighs heavily and twists his lips upward to humor him.

Sasuke helps him dress in silence. Itachi is like a doll in his hands, not out of stubbornness, but out of sheer lack of caring. His world is pinpointed in Sasuke and beyond that nothing exists. If it makes Sasuke happy to spend hours every morning dressing him in elaborate kimonos, and playing with his hair, so be it.

"What am I wearing today?" he asks, mostly because he knows that the interest pleases Sasuke. He can feel the texture of the heavy cloth and the embroidery. The silk is soft beneath his fingertips.

"It's dark red, with black crows on it," Sasuke says, and leans in to kiss him.

"New?"  
"Ah, yes. And also, I got you this. You know, for your birthday," Itachi fancies that he can hear the bashful smile in Sasuke's voice. He extends his hands to receive the small rectangular box and opens it.

"I told you to stop buying me presents before, Sasuke," he scolds gently.

"I can't help it, Niisan. I want you to have pretty things."

"I don't care about anything, but having you by my side, otouto. I don't need gemstones, or exquisite kimonos, if I can have you."

He shakes the box, his nimble fingers dancing over the edges. He cocks his head to the side like a pretty bird, and a curtain of silky ink black tresses spill over his shoulder.

"What is it this time?"

He opens it carefully, and traces what's inside.

"Hairpins?"  
Sasuke nods, and quickly says "Yes. Silver with fifteen percent stainless steel. Rubies and diamonds in the shape of the Uchiha clan crest at the top. I had them custom made and shipped from Rice Country."

Itachi sighs and runs his fingers over the two pins carefully, feeling the cold smoothness of the metal, and then the precious stones at the top. The rubies are big and polished smooth, while the diamonds are many, pressed together in the lower part to form the base of the crest.

"Thank you, Sasuke," he says, casting his face downwards. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve Sasuke's love, or his ceaseless gifts or his gentleness. He shouldn't be celebrating his birthday, after all he's done. Someone like him… ought to have never been born.

Sasuke senses that Itachi's thoughts are heading a dangerous direction, and reaches out to him, to cup his chin in his rough callused hands and caress his face gently. His brother is so beautiful.

"Niisan…" he mutters and presses a kiss ot his lips. "Niisan…"

Itachi's breath catches in his throat. He parts his lips, and lets Sasuke kiss him slowly, gently. The younger man pulls him closer and holds him there.

"You are so lovely, and perfect, my crow," Sasuke croons lovingly. He runs his fingers through the older male's long dark tresses, and carefully pulls the wickedly sharp pins out of his hands. He loves playing with Itachi's hair, feeling its softness in his hands, shaping it, so that is frames his brother's sculpted face. He pins it up, leaving the smooth creamy column of Itachi's neck bare, and kisses along the line of soft skin there, inhaling his brother's scent deeply.

Itachi makes a small sound.

"Don't… leave any marks."

"I know, Niisan. I know. I plan on taking you out today."

Itachi flinches a little. He barely leaves his room. On his very good days he deigns to step out and sit in the garden, feeling the rays of the sun on his skin, but mostly, he prefers to lay inside, on the soft bed, surrounded by the warm dark. He sleeps a lot, like a giant cat. Sasuke worries, that when he isn't home all Itachi does is sleep and be sad. In the months after their return to Konoha it has been… hard. Itachi refused to show himself publically. Some people still whispered, still called him "clan-killer" and traitor. He had completely given up on surfacing in the village when someone had tried (key word – tried) throwing rotten fruit at him. Sasuke never managed to see the worthless life-form's face. If he had….

He shakes his head, and brings his mind back in the present, with his lovely Niisan.

"We'll go to that new dango place. I brought you take out from there once and you liked it, remember?"

Itachi heaves a sigh.

"If you want to."

"Of course I do. It's your birthday, we must celebrate."

Sasuke's insistence brings a tired smile to his brother's lips. "All right. But that will be me fulfilling my quota of at least one outing per month. For the next few months."

Sasuke narrows his eyes. Bargaining with Itachi was like bargaining with a clever and manipulative petulant child.

"I don't like going out, Sasuke. And I've left the house already twice this month."

"Going to the village council meetings that Hiashi bullied you into frequenting doesn't count. I want us to go out together. Spend time."

"We can spend time indoors. I prefer it. Why don't you get take out again and we will eat here, and it will be the same celebration."

"Niisan…"

Sasuke's voice takes on such a sad disappointed note, that Itachi sees no choice but to take his words back.

He feels uncomfortable, walking the streets of Konoha, with Sasuke supporting him, surrounded by people who can see him, but who he can't see. There's too many people and his instincts are screaming at him.

Sasuke can feel Itachi tense beside him, his whole body taut. His lovely face is a pleasant blank mask, but he knows that inside Itachi feels himself surrounded by threat. It wrenches his heart. For his brother the world is a battlefield where he is constantly on the verge of being attacked. Every social interaction, however small, is a little personal battle. Sasuke begins to think that this may not have been a very good idea after all.

Itachi sits across him in the dango parlor, his pale hands folded neatly on the table as Sasuke orders. He tries his best to smile at his little brother, to show that he appreciates the attention and the presents. He sips the green tea tentatively when they bring it to him. The bitterness washes away the taste of blood from the back of his throat. Sasuke is tense and nervous on his side of the table, as if he wants to say many things but isn't sure how. If they weren't in public, he'd kiss his niisan breathless, and pour down his throat all the choked and half-formed i-love-yous in the world.

He reaches out and starts feeding Itachi small bites of the sweet dumplings.

"Happy birthday niisan."


End file.
